Sainte Genevieve has long been a
destination for visitors who are looking to enjoy its quaint narrow streets,
museums and homes of its
National Historic Landmark District. The surrounding area offers nature
lovers a variety of beautiful locations to enjoy the scenic outdoor beauty of
Missouri including Hawn State Park and Pickle Springs Natural Area.

This
1792 house was built in the poteaux en terre style where
the walls are formed by hewn logs set upright in an earthen
trench. Adiorama of Sainte Genevieve in 1832 is displayed in
the house. Open to the public on selected dates.

Crown Ridge Tiger Sanctuary is a non-profit USDA approved rescue
facility. Its mission is to provide a permanent home for exotic
big cats that have endured neglect, abuse, or other undesirable
homes. A variety of tours are available and the facility offers
specialized educational programs for teachers and students that
teach the importance of wildlife preservation, natural history
of tigers and lions, and show how one person can really make a
difference.Crown Ridge
Tiger Sanctuary offers both on and off-site presentations,
general tours for families, VIP tiger feeding tours, and up
close views of its majestic big cats.

Built
in 1818, this Federal style limestone building was home to one of
Sainte Genevieve's premier colonial families. The site features the
authentically restocked mercantile store of the historic trading
firm of Menard & Valle and a residential portion that is
furnished with period pieces. In back of the home is a building
which housed the kitchen and in the yard is a typical family garden. This Missouri Department
of Natural Resources operates site that offers guided tours and is
open to the public year round.

With
pine and oak forests, sandstone bluffs and canyons, and clear
sand-bottom streams, this nearly 5,000 acre park is considered on of the
most scenic in Missouri. The park has many nature trails, picnic
areas, and a campground for those who wish to get out and enjoy
nature.

Built in 1806 by Jacques Jean-Rene Guibourd, this historic house
retains much of its early Creole charm. The house and its
beautiful gardens are opened year round to the public for tours
and events. This historic house and gardens are owned and
operated by the Foundation for Restoration of Sainte Genevieve,
Inc., a non-profit organization.

Located 10 miles north of Sainte Genevieve, this
1,740-acre area features steep bluffs and scenic river views.
Magnolia Hollow Conservation Area provides good woodland game hunting, fishing,
a clay pigeon target range, and 2 hiking trails. Dispersed
primitive camping is permitted year round.

Pickle Springs Natural Area is a deep, forested gorge
consisting of geological formations and plants that are
found in few other places. Pickle Springs Natural Area
features a 2-mile hiking trail maintained by the East Ozark
Audubon Society in cooperation with the Missouri Department
of Conservation takes hikers past waterfalls, rock shelters,
a double arch, towering bluffs, canyons and amazing rock
outcrops.

The Route du Vin of
Sainte Genevieve County is a driving tour that begins in Sainte Genevieve and
then travels in a loop through the forested hills and farmland southeast
of this historic town. Driving time is about an hour not counting any stop
over time at the 5
featured wineries.

Follow
North Main Street about 1 1/2 miles from the Historic District of
Sainte Genevieve to the Little Rock Landing on the Mississippi
River. The Modoc Landing is accessible from Illinois Routes 3 and
155 on the Illinois side. The ferry runs during daylight hours
approximately every fifteen minutes and a fee is charged.

The
visual arts and Sainte Genevieve have been connected since the
early 19th century with the arrival of John James Audubon. The
connection continued with the Sainte Genevieve Art Colony of the
1930s and Roscoe Misselhorn, the “Norman Rockwell of the
Midwest.” The charm of the community continues to be a magnet to
artists as Sainte Genevieve is home to a number of working
studios, art galleries and shops, and special art events.

A good
starting point for your visit to this historic town is this tourist
information center. The Center has a walking tour video and area brochures.
The Center also hosts the Roscoe Misselhorn Gallery with many of
his original sketches of Ste. Genevieve. The main gallery changes
its exhibits periodically.

Nearby
Attractions

Randolph
County, Illinois
Located across the Mississippi River from Sainte Genevieve, Randolph
County is where Illinois began. Attractions include Fort de
Chartres, the Pierre Menard Home and the Fort Kaskaskia State
Historic site.

Saint
Clair & Monroe Counties, IllinoisDiscover French colonial life at
Cahokia, a town as old as Williamsburg, Virginia or visit the city of Belleville
that offers its visitors a wide variety of attractions that
includes an art gallery, museums, and the National
Shrine of
Our Lady of the Snows.

Jefferson
County, MissouriVisitors to Jefferson County
can explore the prehistoric lifestyles
of Native Americans at Mastodon State Historic Site and Washington
State Park. Other attractions include one of the last remaining
covered bridges in Missouri at Sandy Creek Bridge State Historical
Site and the Anheuser Estate in Kimmswick.

For Travelers Heading Up River

St. Louis Area
Metropolitan St. Louis has a lot to offer its visitors. The
area's most prominent attraction is the Gateway Arch, which is
part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial complex that
also includes the Museum of Westward Expansion. St. Louis has a
number of outstanding public institutions that are free to visit
including the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, and the Science
Center. The St. Louis region has a number of green spaces for
nature and outdoor enthusiasts. Forest Park is one of the
largest urban parks in the United States. Faust County Park, in
St. Louis County, is home to many historical and cultural
attractions including the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, a
historical village, and the St. Louis Carousel. The county is
also home to Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park, Columbia
Bottom Conservation Area, the Powder Valley Conservation Area.

Meeting of the Great Rivers
Scenic Byway
The Meeting of the Great Rivers Scenic Byway area is one of
America’s newer scenic byways. With over 20,000 acres of forest
and wetlands at the heart of the Mississippi Flyway, it is a
nature lovers paradise. Visitors will find spectacular colors in
the fall and bald eagles in the winter. History abounds in the
region ranging from the prehistoric Cahokia Mounds to sites on the
National Register of Historic Places.

For Travelers Heading Up River

The Mississippi Meets
the Ohio River Region
After the Mississippi River passes St. Louis it begins to change character.
When the Mississippi River meets the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois it is
halfway on its journey to the sea. It is here that the brown muddy water of
the Mississippi begins to mingle with the clearer water of the Ohio. Without
the locks and dams the Mississippi begins to wind and curve so much so that
the distance by water from Cape Girardeau to the Gulf of Mexico is twice the
distance as a crow flies. The region where the Mississippi River meets the
Ohio River is an area of transition in several respects both in terms of the
flora and fauna but the culture begins to take on that of the Deep South.
The Meeting the Ohio region of the Middle Mississippi River Valley offers it
visitors a wide variety of options of activities to do and sites to see.
Whether you’re looking for historical or cultural sites or a place to enjoy
nature you’ll find it in this part of the country.

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